Numbers continue to grow as call to "Strike Poverty" echoes across the country

Workers call to lift the economy with better pay of $15/hour and the right to organize

Across Seattle, low-wage workers are planning to walk out Thursday — and it's going national. On August 29th, the first-ever national strike of low-wage workers is expected to expand to dozens of cities across the country, from Los Angeles to Boston to Raleigh, North Carolina. Seattle fast food workers issued this call to strike on August 19th, urging fellow workers to "Turn off the fryers, take off your aprons, and walk out August 29th."

Workers across the country are heeding this national call and joining the movement. Today and tomorrow, worker leaders here in Seattle who work at major chains like McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Subway are making hundreds of phone calls to fellow low-wage workers and visiting every fast food outlet in the city to spread the word about the fast-growing movement for good jobs they sparked with their May 30th strike.

(Note: Advance interviews may be available. Contact Sage Wilson at sage@workingwa.org to arrange.)

What: Launch strikelines across Seattle calling for better pay and the right to organize without retaliation.

When & Where: Thursday, August 29th.
7:00 am - Strikelines will kick off with a Westlake Park gathering.
8:00 am - 2:00 pm - Strikelines will spread to multiple locations across the city throughout the day. Specific location details will be available early Thursday morning.4:00 pm - Major citywide convergence of striking workers gathers at Plymouth Pillars Park (Pike St & Boren Ave) before heading out to dinnertime strikelines at nearby fast food locations.

The August 29th national strike comes amidst an extraordinary upsurge of worker unrest which has moved low-wage worker issues to the center of public attention. From SeaTac to Tacoma to the Skagit Valley to the Seattle mayoral race, highly profitable fast food corporations and other big employers have come under increasing pressure as workers continue to raise the question of how we can build a sustainable economy when the fastest-growing jobs pay poverty wages.

About Good Jobs Seattle:

Sparked by the May 30th fast food strike, Good Jobs Seattle is a growing movement which seeks to build a sustainable future for Seattle's economy from the middle out — by turning poverty-wage jobs in fast food and other industries into good jobs that offer opportunities for a better future and pay enough for workers to afford basic necessities like food, clothing and rent. Good Jobs Seattle is supported by organizations including Washington Community Action Network, Working Washington, OneAmerica, at least one millionaire, and hundreds of workers and grassroots supporters.

In just a few months fast food workers in Seattle have sparked a fast-growing movement for good jobs:

On May 30th, strikelines spread across Seattle as hundreds went on strike for better pay and the right to organize, united under a call to "Strike Poverty - Raise Seattle".

On June 15th, mayoral candidates debated what city government could do to raise the economy by lifting up poverty-wage jobs before an audience of about 200 fast food, grocery store, hotel, home care, and other poverty-wage workers and their supporters.

On July 11th, fast food workers briefed members of the Seattle city council about working conditions, including low pay, wage theft, and health & safety concerns.

On August 1st, informational pickets & in-store teach-ins about criminal wage theft were held at fast food and coffee outlets across the city.

About Working Washington: Our mission is to build a powerful workers’ movement that can not only dramatically improve wages and working conditions, but can also change the local and national conversation about wealth, inequality, and the value of work. More info…

Our mission is to build a powerful workers’ movement that can not only dramatically improve wages and working conditions, but can also change the local and national conversation about wealth, inequality, and the value of work.

Working Washington fast food strikers sparked the fight that won Seattle's landmark $15 minimum wage. We drove Amazon to sever ties with right-wing lobby group ALEC and improve conditions in their sweatshop warehouses. And we helped lead the winning campaign in SeaTac for a $15 living wage.